Broadcast seed-sower



:(No Model.)

' W. E. PRATT.

BROADCAST SEED SOWER.

No. 506,542. Patented Oct. 10, 1893.

: 11380316? I WarranZ'. rmfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN E. PRATT, OF SAGEVILLE, MICHIGAN.

BROADCAST SEED-SOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,542, dated October10, 1893.

Application filed June 21,1893. sail-t1 No 478.363- model purpose ofsowing broadcast grassseed, or itmay be employed for sowing other smallseed.

The objects of the invention are to provide a planter of this class thatmay be conveniently carried or supported in any suitable way and whichis adapted to accurately determine the quantity of seed being dischargedper acre, and also which will evenly distribute said seed over thesurface which it operates upon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsFigure l is a perspective view of a planterembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewabove thecut-0E. Fig. 3 isabottom plan view of the lower end of the dischargetube. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view. Like numerals ofreference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing my invention I employ a tube or pipe 1, the same being ofan'y suitable length and preferably being decreased in size or taperedfrom its upper to its lower end. The lower end of the tube is providedwith a series of teeth 2, each alternate tooth being bent inwardly, asshown. This lower end is also crossed by a transverse strip 3, whoselower edge is also toothed, as at 4, said teeth being deflected inalternate opposite directions. Over this lower end a movable sleeve 5 ispassed, the same having a bayonet-slot 6 in When the sleeve is up theare covered and protected by said sleeve. The upper end of the tube orpipe 1 is provided with two angular beads 8 between which the mouth of asack, shown by dotted lines and designated at 9, may be bound orotherwise secured. At a point below the sack and the upper end of thetube or pipe a crescentshaped diaphragm 10 is fixedly located therein,and by reason of its shape an opening 11 occurs at one side thereof.This diaphragm is at its outer edge extended through a slot 12 formed inthe side wall of the tube or pipe and projects beyond the same thusforming an indicator plate 13 upon which degrees are marked andindicated. Pivoted to said crescent-shaped diaphragm .is an oscillatingcutoff 14, also crescent shaped, and its openingis adapted to combinewith that of the cut-off so as to increase or decrease the size of thesame. A rivet 15 passes centrally through the diaphragm and cut-off andserves to swivel or pivot the two together. A wire arm 16 is secured toone edge of the cut-0E, extends through the slot below the indicatorplate and is upwardly and inwardly bent to form a convenient eye 17 bywhich it may be manipulated, and also terminates against said indicatingplate or has frictional contact therewith whereby it may be locked atany point of its movement upon the plate.

This completes the construction of the planter and the operation of thesame is as follows: The seed being placed in a bag the latter is securedin position upon the upper end of the tube or pipe, and the handle swungupon the indicating plate to a desired degree which will indicate thenumber of quarts per acre. handle will, of course, serve to adjust thecutoff with relation to the diaphragm, in a manner heretofore mentioned,so that the out-put of seed per acre .can be accurately and to acertainty determined. The seed dropping through theopening in thediaphragm and cut-0E strike against the deflected teeth at the lower endof the tube or pipe, and hence the same are. distributed evenly andscattered in all directions.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and Suchmovement upon the part of the effective planter to be employed fordistributing evenly grass and other small seed, and this too inpredetermined quantities.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a planter of theclass described, a tube or pipe having its lower end provided with aseries of teeth inwardly disposed, substantially as specified.

2. In a planter of the class described, a tube or pipe having'its lowerend provided with a series of teeth alternately inwardly disposed,substantially as specified.

3. In a planter of the class described, a tube or pipe having its lowerend provided with teeth some of which are inwardly disposed or bent, atransverse strip arranged in said tube or pipe, the lower edge of thesame being toothed and deflected in reverse directions, substantially asspecified.

4. In a planter of the class described, a tube or pipe, combined with adiaphragm located therein, a slot adjacent to the diaphragm, anindicating plate arranged adjacent to the slot, a rotary cut-oft pivotedto the diaphragm, and an arm extending from the cut-oft and adapted tomove over the plate, which latter is divided into degrees, substantiallyas specified.

5. In a planter of the class described, the combination with a tube orpipe having a slot, a crescen t-shaped diaphragm arranged above the slotand extending beyond the same to form an indicating plate and dividedinto degrees, of a crescent-shaped cut-oft pivoted to the diaphragm, anarm extending from the outer edge of the cut-off to the slot and bentupwardly and inwardly forming an eye embracing the edge of theindicating plate and resting thereon where it is locked by frictionalcontact therewith, substantially as specified.

6. In aplanter of the class described, a tube or pipe having its lowerend provided with a series of teeth, and a transverse strip arranged insaid tube or pipe and also having a toothed lower edge, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy s gnature in the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN E. PRATT. Witnesses:

A. A. MARSHALL, O. R. CRANE.

